Elastomeric compositions

Abstract

Novel thermoplastic molding compositions having excellent stress-strength characteristics, particularly low temperature impact strength, comprising an admixture of a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic polyester, a modifier resin and, optionally clay.

We claim: 
     
       1. A thermoplastic molding composition comprising an admixture of (A) one or more thermoplastic elastomeric polymers characterized as having ether, ester and imide linkages and wherein the ether linkages are present as high molecular weight polyoxyalkylene or copolyoxyalkylene units derived from long chain ether diamines,   (B) one or more high molecular weight thermoplastic polyesters, and   (C) one or more homopolymer or copolymer modifier resins having as a major constituent units derived from one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl aromatics, esters of acrylic and alkyl acrylic acids and conjugated dienes.   
     
     
       2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric polymer is a polyetherimide ester derived from (i) one or more diols (ii) one or more dicarboxylic acids or the ester derivative thereof and (iii) one or more poly(oxyalkylene) diimide diacids or the reactants therefore. 
     
     
       3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the diols are selected from the group consisting of C 2  to C 8  aliphatic and cycloaliphatic diols and at least 80 mole percent of the diols are the same. 
     
     
       4. The composition of claim 2 wherein the diol is 1,4 butanediol. 
     
     
       5. The composition of claim 2 wherein at least 80 mole percent of the dicarboxylic acids are the same and are selected from the group consisting of C 4  to C 16  aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic dicarboxylic acids and the ester derivatives thereof. 
     
     
       6. The composition of claim 5 wherein the predominant dicarboxylic acid is a C 8  to C 16  aromatic dicarboxylic acid or the ester derivative thereof. 
     
     
       7. The composition of claim 2 wherein the dicarboxylic acid is dimethyl terephthalate. 
     
     
       8. The composition of claim 2 wherein the polyetherimide ester is prepared from a preformed poly(oxyalkylene) diimide diacid characteristized as having the following formula: ##STR5## or the reactants therefor comprising monomers of the following formulas:   H.sub.2 N--G--NH.sub.2     and ##STR6## wherein each R is independently a C 2  to C 20  aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic trivalent organic radical; each R' is independently hydrogen or a C 1  to C 6  monovalent organic radical, and G is the radical remaining after removal of the terminal hydroxy groups of a long chain ether glycol having a number average molecular weight of from about 400 to about 12,000.   
     
     
       9. The composition of claim 8 wherein R is a C 6  to C 20  aromatic trivalent organic radical, R' is hydrogen or methyl and G is derived from a long chain ether glycol having a number average molecular weight of from about 900 to about 4000. 
     
     
       10. The composition of claim 8 wherein the long chain ether diamine is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene ether) diamine, poly(propylene ether) diamine, poly(tetramethylene ether) diamine and a copoly(ethylene ether-propylene ether) diamine. 
     
     
       11. The composition of claim 8 therein the long chain ether diamine is poly(propylene ether) diamine. 
     
     
       12. The composition of claim 8 wherein R is a C 6  aromatic trivalent radical derived from trimellitic anhydride. 
     
     
       13. The composition of claim 8 wherein the polyetherimide ester is derived from a preformed poly(oxyalkylene) diimide diacid which is the reaction product of trimellitic anhydride and poly(propylene ether) diamine having a number average molecular weight of from about 900 to about 4000. 
     
     
       14. The composition of claim 1 wherein the high molecular weight thermoplastic polyester (b) is selected from the group consisting of homopolyesters, copolyesters and blends of homopolymers, copolyesters or mixtures thereof, derived from (i) one or more C 2  to C 19  aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic diols and (ii) one or more C 4  to C 19  aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic dicarboxylic acids. 
     
     
       15. The composition of claim 1 wherein the high molecular weight thermoplastic polyester (b) is selected from the group consisting of aromatic homopolyesters, aromatic copolyesters and mixtures of said homopolyesters, copolyesters or both which are characterized as comprising repeating units of the following formula: ##STR7## wherein D is the radical remaining after removal of the hydroxy groups of a C 2  to C 8  aliphatic or cycloaliphatic diol, with the proviso that at least about 80 mole percent of the units in the copolyesters are of the aromatic ester units. 
     
     
       16. The composition of claim 15 wherein the high molecular weight thermoplastic polyester (b) is poly(butylene terephthalate). 
     
     
       17. The composition of claim 1 wherein the modifier resin is selected from the group consisting of (a) high impact polystyrene,   (b) ABS type graft copolymers,   (c) AB and ABA type block and radial block copolymers,   (d) random copolymers of styrene and monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylonitriles and conjugated dienes,   (e) ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber and   (f) core-shell copolymers characterized as having a predominately conjugated diene rubbery core or a predominately cross-linked acrylate rubbery core and one or more shells polymerized thereon and derived from monoalkenyl arene monomers, acrylic monomers, or a combination of monoalkenyl arene and acrylic monomers, alone or in combination with other vinyl monomers.   
     
     
       18. The composition of claim 17 wherein the modifier resin is an ABA type triblock copolymer comprising at least two monoalkenyl arene polymer end blocks A and at least one hydrogenated partially hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated conjugated diene polymer mid block B, said block copolymer having an 8 to 55 percent by weight monoalkenyl arene polymer block content, each polymer block A having a number average molecular weight of between 5,000 and 125,000,and each polymer block B having a number average molecular weight of between about 10,000 and about 300,000. 
     
     
       19. The composition of claim 18 wherein the block copolymer is polystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene block copolymer. 
     
     
       20. The composition of claim 17 wherein the monoalkenyl alkenyl arene-conjugated diene copolymer is a core-shell copolymer. 
     
     
       21. The composition of claim 20 wherein the core-shell copolymer is comprised of a polybutadiene core having polymerized thereon a shell derived from styrene and methylmethacrylate units. 
     
     
       22. The composition of claim 20 wherein the coreshell copolymer is comprised of a poly(butadiene-styrene) core having polymerized thereon a shell derived from styrene and methylmethacrylate. 
     
     
       23. The composition of claim 1 which further comprises up to 50% by weight, based on the total composition, of clay. 
     
     
       24. The composition of claim 23 wherein the clay is a Kaolin clay which has been treated with a sizing or coupling agent. 
     
     
       25. The composition of claim 1 comprising, in parts by weight, from about 90 to about 5 parts thermoplastic elastomer (A), from about 5 to about 90 parts thermoplastic polyester (B), from about 5 to about 35 parts modifier resin (C) and from 0 up to 30 parts clay (D). 
     
     
       26. The composition of claim 1 comprising, in parts by weight, from about 90 to about 40 parts thermoplastic elastomer (A), from about 5 to about 55 parts thermoplastic polyester (B), from about 5 to about 30 parts modifier resin (C) and from 0 up to 25 parts clay. 
     
     
       27. The composition of claim 1 wherein the modifier resin (C) is pre-compounded with at least a portion of the polyester resin (B). 
     
     
       28. The composition of claim 27 wherein the modifier resin is a core-shell copolymer. 
     
     
       29. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyoxyalkylene or copolyoxyalkylene units have a number average molecular weight of from about 400 to about 12000.